Street sweeper machine for trash collecting

Abstract

A machine with a frame supporting two side brushes downwardly, a center roller, and an auxiliary front brush movable on command in a crosswise direction to the frame, and upwardly a driver's cab, a trash container, a water tank and a trash conveyor. The water tank and trash conveyor are of reduced dimensions (i.e., short) with respect to the machine lengthwise direction are flattened and inserted between the cab and container. The conveyor has an open structure which extends vertically in an air-tight transport channel between a top end in communication with the container via an opening in the container and a bottom end placed forwardly close to the center roller. A dust suction unit is also provided in communication with the container interior, to draw in dust raised by said brushes through the opening into the trash container from a transport channel between the bottom and top ends of the conveyor.

I claim: 
     
       1. A street sweeper machine for collecting trash, comprising a frame having a forward part and a rear part,   wheels which support and move the frame,   a driver's cab carried on said forward part of said frame, a trash container supported on said rear part of said frame and having a partition wall facing said cab and an opening formed through said partition wall,   a water storage tank and a trash conveyor supported on said frame and being inserted between said cab and container,   power driven rotary brushes supported on said frame in contact with a surface to be swept, for directing said trash to said trash conveyor,   said conveyor extending between a top end thereof in communication with said opening in said container and a bottom end thereof substantially level with said brushes,   said conveyor with said bottom end thereof being adapted to receive trash being conveyed from the brushes themselves, and a dust suction unit supported on said frame and in communication with the interior of said container for drawing in through said opening dust raised by said brushes and from said conveyor.   
     
     
       2. A sweeper machine according to claim 1, wherein said tank and said conveyor are laid side-by-side and are of reduced dimensions with respect to a lengthwise direction of the machine, each extending effectively across the full width of said frame, and   said tank is located close against said cab and said conveyor is located close against said partition wall in said container.   
     
     
       3. A sweeper machine according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor has an open structure to allow passage of a stream of air across the conveyor as a result of said suction unit and comprises a plurality of transport paddles spaced apart from one another,   a plurality of chains attached to said paddles, and   a plurality of sprocket wheels meshing with said chains wherein at least some of said sprocket wheels are power driven, and said conveyor with said chains and sprocket wheels defining for said paddles an ascending run and a descending run spaced apart from each other, a trash pick-up bottom run, and trash throwing upper run for throwing said trash into said container through said opening.   
     
     
       4. A sweeper machine according to claim 3, wherein said conveyor mainly extends substantially perpendicularly to the surface to be swept, and wherein a transport channel is provided which surrounds at least said ascending and descending runs of said paddles to act as a guide for and air stream flowing across said conveyor. 
     
     
       5. A sweeper machine according to claim 4, wherein said transport channel comprises a shaped wall flanking said ascending end of said conveyor of said paddles and defining a trash guide at said bottom run. 
     
     
       6. A sweeper machine according to claim 1, wherein said dust suction unit comprises a turbine made fast with said rear part of said frame, a suction conduit extending between said turbine and said container, and at least one filter bank located at a raised position in said container, a first side of said filter bank being in communication with the container interior, and on the other side in communication with said suction conduit. 
     
     
       7. A sweeper machine according to claim 6, wherein said filter bank is defined by a porous cloth folded into bends, a plurality of links engaging said cloth, and a power driven shaker acting on said links. 
     
     
       8. A sweeper machine according to claim 6, wherein said container is raisable and tiltable on command, and wherein said suction conduit has a first portion movable with said container, a second portion rigid with said turbine, and a sealing bellows inserted between said portions. 
     
     
       9. A sweeper machine according to claim 1, wherein said brushes comprise a main center roller for throwing said trash toward said bottom end of said conveyor, and wherein a housing is provided underneath said frame which is bordered laterally and houses said roller and said bottom end of said conveyor. 
     
     
       10. A sweeper machine according to claim 9, wherein said roller has an opposite direction of rotation to a forward travel direction of said wheels and is located rearwardly, with respect to the forward travel direction, of said bottom end of said conveyor, and wherein a shaped wall partly surrounds said conveyor, on the side thereof which is farthest from said roller, and is inclined at an end thereof toward said roller to define a trash guide to said conveyor. 
     
     
       11. A sweeper machine according to claim 1, wherein said brushes comprise a main center roller for throwing said trash toward said conveyor, two side brushes for directing said trash to underneath said frame and towards said main center roller, and an auxiliary front brush positionable on command across said forward part of said frame. 
     
     
       12. A sweeper machine according to claim 11, wherein to position said auxiliary brush on command there are provided a slideway extending along said forward part of said frame, crosswise to same,   a carriage movable along said slideway,   a piston for driving said carriage,   a small shaft substantially perpendicular to the surface to be swept and projecting from said carriage,   a turning device carried on said carriage and adapted to turn said small shaft about its axis,   an arm comprising a quadrilateral linkage which swings in a vertical plane and supports said auxiliary brush rotatively, and   a rotation motor connected directly to said auxiliary brush for rotating same.